Route to the final: Bayern

FC Bayern München's UEFA Champions League campaign got off to a slow start but steadily gained momentum. Louis van Gaal's side improved throughout the knockout stages as they eliminated ACF Fiorentina, Manchester United FC and Olympique Lyonnais in increasingly impressive fashion. UEFA.com looks back on Bayern's route to the final.

Group ABayern began with a solid 3-0 victory at Maccabi Haifa FC, Thomas Müller's late double adding to Daniel Van Buyten's 64th-minute opener. A goalless home draw against Juventus followed before the wheels threatened to come off with home-and-away defeats by FC Girondins de Bordeaux. Bayern lost 2-1 in France, ending with nine men following red cards for Müller and Van Buyten, before going down 2-0 at the Fußball Arena München. Matchday 5's 1-0 home win against Haifa, achieved thanks to Ivica Olić's 62nd-minute goal, revived hopes but Bayern still travelled to Turin needing victory. Their prospects looked bleak when David Trezeguet volleyed Juventus into a 19th-minute lead. Goalkeeper Jörg Butt levelled from the penalty spot (30), paving the way for second-half strikes from Olić, Mario Gómez and Anatoliy Tymoshchuk that secured a famous win – and a place in the round of 16.

Round of 16FC Bayern München 2-1, 2-3 ACF Fiorentina (agg: 4-4, Bayern win on away goals)Bayern struck first against opponents who had won their previous five UEFA Champions League matches thanks to Arjen Robben's penalty in first-half added time and, after Per Krøldrup had levelled, Miroslav Klose headed an 89th-minute winner to give Bayern a slender advantage for their trip to Florence. It looked as if that would be insufficient as Juan Vargas and Stevan Jovetić scored either side of half-time to edge Fiorentina ahead on aggregate but Mark van Bommel pulled one back on the hour and, though Jovetić swiftly restored the Viola's two-goal cushion, Robben's spectacular 65th-minute goal took Bayern through.

Quarter-finalsFC Bayern München 2-1, 2-3 Manchester United FC (agg: 4-4, Bayern win on away goals)Bayern made the worst possible start to the repeat of the 1999 final as Wayne Rooney volleyed United into a first-minute lead, and it took a slice of luck to bring them level, Franck Ribéry's free-kick taking a decisive deflection off Rooney in the 77th minute. Although Olić struck an added-time winner, Bayern were on the ropes when United took a 3-0 lead in the first 41 minutes at Old Trafford thanks to Darron Gibson's opener and two from Nani. Olić again pulled one back before the break, and for the second round running Robben was decisive, volleying in Ribéry's left-wing corner in the 74th minute.

Semi-finalsFC Bayern München 1-0, 3-0 Olympique Lyonnais (agg: 4-0)Ribéry was sent off in the first half but it was ten against ten when Jérémy Toulalan collected two bookings early in the second period. Robben scored the only goal in the 69th minute. Bayern then put in an imperious display at the Stade de Gerland, Olić doubling their aggregate lead in the 26th minute and then adding two more goals in the final quarter to complete his hat-trick and book Bayern's place in an eighth European Champion Clubs' Cup final.

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